FEATURED ARTICLES ABOUT AJIT PAWAR - PAGE 5

NAGPUR: Taking exception to senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar's remarks targetting Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan , Maharashtra Congress president Manikrao Thakre said the party will not tolerate such "unnecessary aggression". "Congress will not keep quiet but retaliate if Ajit Pawar doesn't stop the unnecessary aggression against Chavan....It will be a tit for tat," Thakre told reporters here. The senior Congress leader was on the tour of Nagpur, Bhandara and Gondia cities in east Maharashtra.

MUMBAI: The crisis in Maharashtra government after Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar's resignation is expected to draw to a close with the intervention of Union Agriculture Minister and NCP president Sharad Pawar today. Pawar will participate in the NCP legislature party meeting which be held at Vidhan Bhavan here at 4 PM. The NCP legislature party has already appealed to Ajit Pawar to withdraw his resignation, sent to Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan on Tuesday, after an expose in a section of the media on alleged irregularities in the irrigation department during his tenure as minister.

MUMBAI: NCP leader Ajit Pawar is likely to be sworn, once again, as Maharashtra deputy chief minister. He was given a clean chit in a white paper issued by the Maharashtra irrigation department just last week. Chief minister Prithviraj Chavan had held consultations with Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar about Ajit Pawar's reentry into the cabinet recently. NCP chief spokesperson Nawab Malik had also said that since the white paper had cleared Ajit Pawar of any misappropriation in irrigation projects, he could return to the cabinet soon.

NEW DELHI: A massive controversy erupted over an alleged video and audio clipping of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, which has him threatening people to vote for his sister Supriya Sule. While the authenticity of the clipping has not yet been verified, it is believed that Ajit Pawar threatened voters of a village, stating that he would cut off water supply if they did not vote for Supriya Sule. "Tomorrow voting will be undertaken. If anybody from this village indulges in any trouble, I will cut off the water (supply)

MUMBAI: Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan today said he will speak to leaders of his party Congress and those from ally NCP before taking a decision on the resignation of his deputy Ajit Pawar. "I have received a letter from Ajit Pawar tendering resignation from the Council of Ministers and suggesting alternative arrangements for the portfolios held by him. I will consult leaders of both the parties before taking a decision," he told reporters here. Chavan met Congress Ministers and leaders to discuss the political situation arising out of Ajit Pawar's resignation.

MUMBAI: Stating that there was no government in existence in Maharashtra after Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar's resignation, Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray today said the junior Pawar will beat a retreat. "After all, Ajit Pawar is treading the path of his uncle Sharad Pawar , who had once vowed never to return to Congress fold but he did return. Similarly, when Ajit has to face the trial by fire, he will beat a sudden retreat and give explanation for doing so," Thackeray said.

NEW DELHI: NCP chief Sharad Pawar today said he had given "permission" to Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who is facing allegations of irregularities in irrigation projects, to resign from his post. Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar told PTI over phone that Ajit, who is his nephew, had called him yesterday and sought permission to quit from the post. Ajit Pawar resigned as Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister following allegations of irregularities in clearing irrigation projects worth thousands of crore of rupees during his tenure as Water Resources Minister.

MUMBAI: Opposition parties in Maharashtra today welcomed deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar's resignation in the wake of corruption allegations in irrigation projects saying the truth must come out. "Be it a court stricture or the CM's talk of white paper on irrigation, any proper inquiry can't take place when the minister is in office," state unit BJP chief Sudhir Mungantiwar said. "It is good that he has resigned," he said, adding the truth (in the alleged irrigation scam )

MUMBAI: Sharad Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party faces extreme polarisation after followers of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar have discretely expressed disagreement with views of the elder Pawar on how to resolve the crisis triggered by his nephew's remarks. Seniors in the party have expressed solidarity with Sharad Pawar but the young brigade is with Ajit. "This is a conflict between those who think of the future and those who remember their past in the party. Those who think about the future know that they cannot survive without Ajit Pawar, while those who think of the past want to be loyal to Sharad Pawar," said senior political analyst Kumar Ketkar . The division between supporters was evident at Ajit Pawar's one-day 'repentance fast' at Karad in south Maharashtra on Sunday.

MUMBAI: Proceedings of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly continued to be stalled for the second day today over Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar's remarks on loadshedding and drought, with Opposition's move to bring a censure motion which was rejected by the Speaker. The Lower House had to be adjourned twice before being adjourned for the day amid noisy scenes. The Opposition members were in the well shouting slogans against the Deputy CM demanding his removal from the ministry.